What To Do This Weekend, December 12 - 15

Rally behind local music boosters Showlist DC and Hometown Sounds for their inaugural showcase. It's a mighty line-up for their first bill – comprised of some of our favorite pop sensibility-laden music: the electronic-tinged Heavy Breathing, prog-poppish Tereu Tereu, and jangly alt-rockers The Jet Age. DJ sets from Screen Vinyl Image and Hometown Sounds’ Paul Vodra will fill in the blanks. $10.

He’s not always there when you call, but he’s always on time: Tonight, Ja Rule plays the Howard Theatre. Enjoy tunes from his latest musical effort, The Mirror, of which the rapper—whose “I’m Real” duet with Jennifer Lopez is firmly lodged into everyone’s memory—says, “I want people to really get a glimpse on what it is to be Ja Rule, and the album is a reflection of that.” (Reflection? Nice one Ja.) Expect nothing less than wonderful. $25.50 in advance, $35.50 day-of.

The Fête des Lumiéres officially kicks off this on Friday with a party at Georgetown’s newish, French-ish Malmaison, but the grand opening of this inaugural lights festival – which is centered around illuminated public art and takes its cues from the legendary French fête in Lyon, France – goes all weekend long. Tonight, mingle at L2 Lounge with the artists, who hail from France, Canada, Belgium and Spain, and whose largely participatory lit-up pieces will be installed around Georgetown until the 20th.

Lines + Stars, a quarterly journal of poetry and short prose, has been steadily showcasing work by DC-area writers since 2006. The release party for its sixteenth and latest issue, Circus, promises special beverages, warmth, and music---and readings by featured writers Marie Abate, Marlena Chertlock and Dan Ferrara.